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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · wake · board · drill · bowl · bank · ball · dip

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. board — a committee
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. drill — army training
  7. land — to come down
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bank — for money
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. drill — a practice
  16. board — to get on
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com